First Reactions to ‘Aquaman’ Tease a Tidal Wave of Epic Adventure and Dazzling Visuals

At long last, the first reactions to Aquaman have arrived! The DC Film has been a long time coming, with Jason Momoa’s character making a cameo in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before getting a more proper debut in 2017’s Justice League. For the standalone Aquaman movie, Warner Bros. turned to Furious 7 and The Conjuring filmmaker James Wan to direct, who developed the script for quite some time before production on the sea-set adventure finally moved forward.

Aquaman charts the origin story of the titular character, a man born from a human father and an Atlantis queen mother (played by Nicole Kidman) who straddles both worlds. In the story of the film, Momoa’s Arthur Curry must save the surface world when his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) seeks to wage war on the humans and assert Atlantean dominance once and for all. Arthur is aided in his quest by Mera (Amber Heard), a warrior and daughter of King Nereus who was raised by Queen Atlanna and groomed to become Queen herself.

The first tidal wave of reactions are extremely positive, with comparisons to everything from Indiana Jones to Lord of the Rings to Avatar, with some rumblings that it may even be the best DC film since The Dark Knight. Special attention is being paid to director James Wan, who appears to have melded his experience on small-budget horror films and large-scale blow-em-ups like Fast 7 to create something with a personal adventure on a grand scale.

Check out the various reactions below. Full Aquaman reviews won’t arrive until December 11th. The film also stars Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Aquaman opens in theaters on December 21st, but Amazon Prime subscribers can claim tickets to see the film one week early.

Aquaman is a breathtakingly beautiful, weird, badass, FUN idea of a modern superhero fantasy (anime) and makes zero apologies. Second half’s one cheer/laugh after another.

Imagine ’80s Schwarzenegger starring in “Hideo Kojima’s AVATAR” and you’re most of the way there. #Aquaman pic.twitter.com/nmZYjcUm5q

— Andrew Dyce (@andrewbdyce) November 26, 2018

#Aquaman is great. James Wan made a really unique super hero origin film, often crossing into fantasy-epic territory, but grounded in family and discovery. The world is visually incredible. Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry is a total bad-ass. @yahya and @patrickwilson73 stand out! pic.twitter.com/2IvDCEq7VU — Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) November 26, 2018

#Aquaman is an epic fantasy adventure on the high seas! It’s packed with thrilling action in a dazzling underwater world like nothing I’ve ever seen in superhero movies, or anywhere else. I had a total blast watching this movie & so will you. See it on the biggest screen you can! pic.twitter.com/uRWXDTE48K

— Sean Gerber (@MrSeanGerber) November 26, 2018

Aquaman is a big, fun, wild ride. It’s unabashedly melodramatic and over the top with the largest, most ambitious sense of scale imaginable. Parts of it are kind of bad but they are not the majority and, oddly, still fit in with the cartoony tone. 2nd best DCU movie. YEEEAAHH! pic.twitter.com/3GLlK3uQJ3 — Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) November 26, 2018

Short & sweet reaction to #Aquaman is that I loved it. It’s a comic book movie through & through with great action, iconic moments & visual spectacle to spare. Momoa makes the character his own & Wan honors the traditional aspects, but elevates it to the modern era. It’s a blast.

— Paul Shirey (@arcticninjapaul) November 26, 2018

#Aquaman is Avatar meets Jupiter Ascending, with hints of The Lord Of The Rings, Indiana Jones and a triple AAA video game. There’s also an Octopus who plays the drums. I loved it. — Sam Clements (@sam_clements) November 26, 2018

#Aquaman is better than expected. Feels like a Marvel phase one movie, in a good way. It’s at its best when it’s having fun and not taking itself too seriously. Black Manta is great villain that comic book fans will love. Some truly spectacular one shots and good action. pic.twitter.com/aTnc1QWk66

— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) November 26, 2018

#Aquaman is the best DC movie since The Dark [email protected] delivers a swashbuckling epic full of big emotion, gorgeous undersea visuals, exciting action, and lots of laughs. WB should be handing the DCEU reins to James Wan, he’s proven he can, ahem, right the ship. pic.twitter.com/4hjxdmNLDf — Tom Jorgensen (@Tom_Jorgensen) November 26, 2018

#Aquaman was an absolute blast, from the charm of Momoa’s Arthur Curry, to the spectacular visuals to the fun that it was clear that everyone was having. It was exactly what I was hoping for and I can’t wait to see it again! I’ll give you more details when I’m allowed! pic.twitter.com/FyeczAJJIJ

— Jenna Busch (@JennaBusch) November 26, 2018

Julie Andrews voices a giant kraken in #Aquaman and if that’s not the best endorsement I can give for this movie then don’t know what is. pic.twitter.com/33ucO34cV0 — Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) November 26, 2018

I loved #Aquaman! It’s definitely one of the best DC universe movies thus far. It’s a fun underwater fantasy sci-fi adventure everyone will enjoy. James Wan did a great job of bringing the first Aquaman movie to life pic.twitter.com/RI0s2YKmLL

— Dorian Parks (@DorianParksnRec) November 26, 2018

#Aquaman is like an 80s cartoon, with all of the fun and the problems that come with that. A good adventure movie that acknowledges exactly what it is from the start, which is a meal made almost entirely of ham.